Counter-shaft.



H.-DALTON.

COUNTER SHAFT. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 1. 191's.

I Patented June 19, 1917.

' advantages.

HUBER-T DALTON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

COUNTER-SHAFT.

Application filed October 7, 1916.

To all whom/it may concern:

Be it known that I, HUBERT DALTON, a citizen of the United States, and resident of the borough of Manhattan, city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Counter- Shafts; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in shafting.

More particularly, the invention aims to provide an improved hanger and journal box of the reversible type. By the term reversible is meant a hanger and journal box so relatively adjustable that the hanger may be anchored either to a column or overhead beam as required and may support a shaft in the journal box carried by the hanger with equal efficiency and convenience irrespective of the position of the hanger.

The invention is primarily directed to the provision of a reversible counter-shaft supporting structure having important novel Therefore the preferred embodiment includes a pair of hangers, journal boxes for the counter-shaft adjustably carried by the hangers, and means adjustably carried by the hangers for clutching and unclutching the counter-shaft to a driving or line-shaft at a more or less remote point. This clutching and unclutching means, when manually operated, functions as usual to throw the counter-shaft into and out of clutch with a loose pulley on the countershaft and driven from the line-shaft.

It is of course well known to provide reversible line-shaft hangers, and many'such are now in use. Reversible counter-shaft hangers, however, although some unsatisfactory types have been proposed, have had very little, if any, actual use. It is necessary that reversible counter-sh aft hangers be provided not only with means for reversing the journal boxes in the hangers, but also with means whereby the clutch mechanism may be reversed correspondingly. For practical reasons, such clutch mechanism should be conveniently reversible relative to the hangers rather than to the counter-shaft itself or any part directly carried by the counter-shaft. Also, in either position of the hangers, the customary hand lever Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 19 191% Serial No. 124,234.

should occupy the same position and the clutch mechanism should be operable by the same movement of the hand-lever relative to the position of the machinist at his work.

The counter-shaft of the present invention has associated therewith a clutch-actuatoradjustably secured'to a slide-rod arranged parallel with the shaft. The sliderod is operated by a handle depending therefrom. Guiding supports for the opposite end portions of the slide-rod are formed on brackets directly supported by the two counter-shaft hangers, the slide-rod being thus supported indirectly by tWo widely spaced hangers and directly by two widely spaced slide bearings. Means are provided, carried partially by the hangers and partially by the brackets, whereby the brackets may be securely bolted to the hangers in either one of two positions. Thus when the hangers are mounted horizontally on a wall or hung vertically from a ceiling, the brackets may be bolted thereto in such positions that the slide-rod is substantially horizontally offset from the counter-shaft,the clutch actuator extends substantially horizontally between the slide-rod and the counter-shaft, and the operating handle depends vertically from the slide-rod.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved hanger and journal box organization especially adapted for use with a clutch mechanism constructed in accordance with the invention. This improved hanger and journal box organization is such 'well, and only a very small cover need be furnished to close the top of the well when the latter is filled with oil. This oil well and cover preferably form parts of the j ournal box, and in such case the hanger is so formed that the cover will always be shielded thereby. The reversible relation between the hanger and journal box permits the cover as thus shielded to be held in place on top of the oil well by the more weight of the cover alone, if desired, in both positions of the hanger and journal box.

These and other objects of the invention will be clearly understood from an examination of'the following description. Throughout this description, reference is made to the accompanying drawing, which illustrates a preferred embodiment. In this drawing, Figure 1 is a front elevation of the structure suspended from a ceiling; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 1, looking to the left; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the hanger and journal box, with the bracket removed; and Fig. 1 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but looking to the right and showing the parts rearranged for mounting the hanger on a side wall.

The hangers and journal boxes are duplicates.

Each hanger is a single casting, comprising a footportion provided with slots 6 for cooperation with suitable anchor bolts, and a ring portion 7 within which a journal box is hung in either position of the hanger. The ring portion carries four radially arranged bosses 8, 9, 10 and 11, spaced apart 90 degrees around the ring portion. Each boss is drilled andtapped so that two set-screws 12 'may be spirally adjusted relatively to the bosses S and 10 or the bosses 9 and 11. The hanger as so far described and provided with four equally spaced radially arranged tapped holes for set-screws is more or less familiar in the art for employment with four set-screws at once to adjustably support a line-shaft on a four-point suspension,

' such a suspension having been required in cases where each journal box was made in two halves to provide split bearings for the shaft.

As shown bestin Fig. 8, the ring portion 7 of the hanger is T-shaped in cross-section between the four radially arranged bosses 8,, 9, 10 and 11. bosses, three lugs are formed on the stem of the T as indicated at 13. 14 and 15. The

. lugs 18, 14: and 15 are drilled transverselyof V the same diameter.

the stem of the T, to provide bolt holes of The lug 13 is between the bosses 8 and 11, the lug 11 between the bosses 11 and 10, and the lug 15 between the bosses 10 and 9. The lugs 13, 14 and 15 are spaced apart equal distances, that is, the distance between the center of the hole drilled through lug 13 and the center of the hole drilled through lug 14 is equal to the distance between the center of the latter hole and the center of the hole drilled through lug 1.5.

Each journal box 16 is hollow as indicated in Fig. 3 and is formedwith tapering end portions and with a substantially U-shaped mid portion as illustrated. At opposite ends, the journal box is provided with eccen- In addition to these fourv tric solid bearings 17 for a counter-shaft 18.

nal box is provided with a suitable opening (not shown), and a cover 19 rests on top of the journal box to close this opening. Offset from the mid portion of the journal box at opposite sides thereof, are a pair of bosses 20. These bosses are each conically recessed to receive conical points on the two setscrews 12 when the latter are threaded through the bosses 8 and 10 or through the bosses 9 and 11. Set screws 12 are threaded through bosses S and 10 when the hanger is mounted on a side wall 30 as shown in Fig. 1, the journal box 16 being then positioned within the ring portion 7 of the hanger as illustrated in Fig. i, with the bosses 20 of the hanger in line with the bosses 8 and 10 of the journal box. These set screws 12 are threaded through the bosses 9 and 11 when the hanger is hung from the ceiling 29 as shown in Fig. 2, the journal box 16 being then positioned within the ring portion of the hanger as illustrated in Fig. 2, with the bosses 20 of the hanger in line with the bosses 9 and 11 of the journal box.

The counter-shaft 18 has secured thereon a cone pulley 21 to be driven by the countershaft when the shaft is itself driven by one of the two loose pulleys 22 and 23. Each of these loose pulleys is suitably held on the shaft against axial movement, so that a clutch 2 1, splined on the shaft as indicated at 25, may be shifted to engage with the pulley 23 is coupled to the counter-shaft to drive the shaft in the direction of the arrow 26, and when the clutch is shifted to the extreme left against the pulley 22, this pulley is coupled to the counter-shaft to drive the shaft in the direction of the ar row 27. The clutch 24 is provided with a groove 28 for cooperation with a shipper or the like carried by a suitable clutch actu ator. The clutch mechanism thus far de scribed is conventional and illustrative, and forms no part of the present invention.

When the hangers, suitably spaced apart, are hung from a ceiling or overhead beam v29, the set-screws 12 are threaded into the bosses 9 and 11 and spirally adjusted relatively to the bosses 20 on the journal box to give each journal box merely a two-point suspension. When the hangers, suitably spaced apart, are mounted on a side wall 30, the same set-screws 12 are threaded into the bosses 8 and 1.0 and spirally adjust-ed rela- L journal box and shielded by the ring portion 7 of the hanger; the two-point suspension of the journal box is in a horizontal line at right angles to the counter-shaft 18. and each end portion of the counter-shaft is in a plurality of solid bearings located above and between the two bosses 20 of the journal box.

In combination with the hangers, there is illustrated a clutch-shift structure comprising a pair of duplicate brackets 31 to be mounted on the hangers, a slide-rod 32 to be arranged in slide bearings formed at 33 in the brackets, a clutch-actuator 34 ad justably secured to the slide-rod, and a dependent arm 35 also adjustably secured to the sliderod. Each bracket 31 is provided with a plurality of lugs 36 and 37, and bolt holes of the same diameter as the bolt holes drilled through the hangers lugs 13, 14 and 15 are drilled through the brackets lugs 36 and 37. The distance between the centers of the two bolt holes in the bracket is equal to the distance between the centers of the holes drilled through the hangers lugs 13 (or 15) and 14,

lVhen the hangersand journal boxes are hung from the ceiling or overhead beam 29 the brackets 31 are arranged. on the hangers as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, that is, the brackets lugs 36 and 37 are arranged alongside the hangers lugs 13 and 14, and the brackets are secured to the hangers by means of bolts passed through the registering bolt holes in these four lugs.

When the hangers and journal boxes are mounted on the side wall 30, the brackets are arranged on the hangers as shown in. Fig. 4, that is, the brackets lugs 36 and 37 are arranged alongside the hangers lugs 15 and 14, and the brackets are bolted to the hangers by means of bolts passed through. the registering bolt holes in these four lugs.

Thus, irrespective of the way in'which the hangers are mounted, the slide-rod 32 is parallel with the counter-shaft 18 and substantially horizontally offset from the same, the clutch actuator 34 properly engages with the clutch 24, and the arm 35 depends vertically from the rod for cooperation in the well known manner with a familiar suspended operating hand-lever.

It will be noted that the hangers, journal boxes and brackets are so designed, the slide bearings 33 are so positioned relatively to the lugs 36 and 37 on the curved brackets 31 and the lugs 13, 14 and 15 are so positioned relatively to the bosses 11 and 10 on the hangers, that the sliderod 32 is ofiset a fixed distance from the countershaft 18 whether the hangers are suspended from the ceiling or mounted on a side wall. This allows the fork 34 formed on the clutch actuator 34 always to closely embrace the groove 28 on the clutch 24. The clutchengaging portion of the clutch-actuator is preferably in the form of a fork, to facilitate reversal of the entire counter-shaft structure; it is obvious, however, that it may be in the form of a ring to be received in the groove 28 and still permit of convenient reversal of the counter-shaft structure.

It is to be understood that the embodiment described may, of course, be varied. in other structural respects, and yet come within the scope of the invention as indicated by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. I11 apparatus of the kind described, the combination with the counter-shaft and clutch on the counter-shaft, of a pair of hangers for the counter-shaft, a pair of spaced brackets, a clutch actuator, a movable support for the clutch actuator supported by the brackets, and means carried partially by the hangers and partially by the brackets for selectively mounting the brackets on the hangers to dispose the clutch actuator in either of two working positions relative to the clutch.

2. In apparatus of the kind described, the combination with the counter-shaft and the loose pulley thereon, of a pair of spaced hangers, a pair of brackets one for each hanger, co-acting means on the brackets and on the hangers whereby each bracket may be arranged on its hanger in either of two positions, and means supported by the brackets and adapted for actuation to clutch the loose pulley to the shaft in either position of the brackets.

3. In apparatus of the kind described, the combination with the counter-shaft and the loose pulley thereon, of a pair of spaced hangers, a pair of brackets one for each hanger, co-acting means on the brackets and on the hangers whereby each bracket may be arranged on its hanger in either of two positions, a rod supported by the brackets, and means carried by the rod and adapted to be moved relative to the brackets to clutch the loose pulley to the shaft in either position of the brackets.

4. In apparatus of the kind described, the combination with the Countershaft and loose pulley and clutch on the shaft, of a pair of journal boxes one for each end of the counter-shaft; a pair of hangers; a clutchshift including a slide-rod arranged parallel with the counter-shaft, a device on the rod for actuating the clutch, and a pair of brackets each having a transverse aperture to receive and guide one end of the rod; and means for securing the brackets to the hangers in either one of two positions substantially ninety degrees apart.

5. In apparatus of the kind described, the combination with the counter-shaft and the loose pulley and the clutch thereon, of a pair of spaced hangers, a pair of journal boxes one for each hanger, co-acting means on the hangers and journal boxes whereby each journal box may be arranged on its hanger in either one of two positions by a two-point suspension, a pair of brackets one for each hanger, co-acting means on the brackets and on the hangers whereby each-bracket may be arranged on its hanger in either one of two positions, a rod supported by the brackets,

and means carried by the rodand adapted to be moved thereby to actuate the clutch in either of said two positions of the brackets.

6. In apparatus of the kind described, the combination with the counter-shaft and the loose pulley thereon, of a pair of spaced hangers, a pair of ournal boxes'one for each hanger, each journal box having a bearing for an end portion of the shaft arranged eccentric to the ournal box, co acting means on the journal boxes and on the hangers whereby each journal box'may be'arranged on its hanger in either one of two positions, and means for clutching the loose pulley to the shaft in both adjustments of the journal boxes.

7Q In apparatus of the kind described, the combination with the counter-shaft and the loose pulley thereon, of a pair of spaced hangers, a pair of journal boxes one for each hanger, each box having asolid bearing for an end portion of the shaft and a flattop having an overlying cover, co-acting means on the journal boxes and on the hangers whereby each journal box may be arranged on its hanger in either one of two positions,

and means for clutching the loose pulley to the shaft in both adjustments'of the ournal boxes.

8. In apparatus of the kind described, the combination with the counter-shaft and the loose pulley thereon and'the clutch, of a pair of spacedhangers, a pair of journal boxes one for each hanger, co-acting means onthe hangers and journal boxes whereby each journal box may be arranged on its hanger in either one of two positions by a two-point suspension, apair of brackets one for each hanger, co-acting means on the brackets and on the hangers whereby each bracket may be arranged on its hanger in-either one of two positions, said means including'two apertured lugs on each bracket and three apertured lugs on each hanger, a rod supported by the brackets, and means carried by the rod and adapted to be moved thereby to actuate the clutch in'either ofsaidtwo posi tions of the brackets.

9. A shaft hanger including a'single casting provided with foot portion and a ring portion, the ring portion including four apertured bosses, the apertures in these bosses being radially arranged relative to the ring portion and spaced apart ninety degrees, and the ring portion also including three lugs having apertures arranged transverse to the plane of the ring portion, the apertures in these three lugs being spaced apart equal distances.

10. A shaft hanger including a single casting' providedwith a foot portion and a ring portion, the ring portion including four apertured bosses, the apertures in these bosses being radially arranged relative to the ring portion and spaced apart ninety degrees, and the ring portion also including three lugs having apertures arranged transverse to the plane of the ring portion, the apertures in these three lugs being spaced apart equal distances, said three lugs being arranged in alternation with said four bosses.

11. In apparatus of the kind described, in combination, a shaft-hanger including a foot portion and a ring portion, the ring portion having four radially arranged equally spaced threaded apertures with two of these apertures located in line opposite the foot portion; a journal box consisting of a horizontally arranged elongated box having a central U-shaped portion and conical end portions tapering away from the central portion, a cover for the top of the central portion, solid shaft bearings in opposite ends of the box arranged in line near the top of the box, and a pair of recessed bosses arranged in line on opposite sides of the central portion below the shaft bearings; and a pair of set-screws for cooperation with two of the threaded apertures and the two recessed bosses for affording a two-point suspension of the journal box in the hanger when the hanger is mountedon a wall or on a ceiling; the width of the central portion of the journal box and the width of the ring portion of the hanger being substantially equal.

12. In apparatus of the kind described, in combination, a shaft-hanger including a foot portion and a ring portion, the ring portion having four radially arranged equally spaced threaded apertures with two of these apertures located in line opposite the foot portion; a journal box including a horizontally arranged elongated box having conical end portions, solid shaft hearings in opposite ends/of the box arranged in line near the top of the box, and a pair of re cessed bosses arranged in line on opposite sides of the box below the shaft bearings;

and a pair of set-screws for cooperation with two of the threaded apertures and the two recessed bosses for affording a twopoint suspension of the journal box in the hanger when the hanger is mounted on a wall or on a ceiling. I

13. The combination with a counter-shaft and a loose pulley and clutch member thereon, of a pair of hangers supporting the counter-shaft and adapted to be mounted in either a vertical or a horizontal position, a

pair of brackets each adapted to be secured to one of the hangers in either of two positions, and means carried by and movable upon said brackets for operating the clutch member to connect the pulley to and disconnect it from the countershaft.

14. The combination with a counter-shaft and a pulley and clutch member thereon, of a pair of hangers adapted to be mounted in either a vertical or a horizontal position and provided with bearings for the countenshaft, a pair of brackets each adapted to be secured to one of the hangers in either of two positions displaced one from the other by substantially ninety degrees about the axis of the shaft, a slide-rod supported by the brackets, and means carried by the slide-rod for actuating the clutch member.

15. The combination with a counter-shaft and a pulley and clutch member carried thereby, of a pair of hangers adapted to be mounted in a vertical or a horizontal position, a pair of journal boxes each carried by one of the hangers, means for securing each journal box upon its hanger in either of two positions one of which is displaced angularly from the other, a pair of brackets each adapted to be secured to one of the hangers in either of two positions one of which is displaced angularly from the other, a sliderod carried by the brackets, and means on the slide-rod for actuating the clutch member.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

HUBERT DALTON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

